NEAQS 2002

New England Air Quality Study

Understanding atmospheric processes that control the production and distribution of air pollutants in the New England region

Where: Northeastern U.S.

When: July - August 2002

What: The focus of NOAA's field study includes surface measurements using the NOAA R/V Ronald H. Brown mobile platform, and ground-based measurements from a network of rural air quality monitoring stations in collaboration with the Atmospheric Investigation, Regional Modeling, Analysis, and Prediction (AIRMAP) project. Stations provided continuous measures of ozone and fine particles and their precursor compounds as well as meteorological parameters in rural New Hampshire before, during and after the campaign. Through the analysis of these data, a clearer picture of the factors controlling air quality in New England emerges.The ship was deployed into the Gulf of Maine and surrounding waters with a complete complement of chemical (gases and aerosols) and meteorological sensors to track the transport and transformation of air pollution. In addition, use of a G-1 Gulfstream instrumented research aircraft, operated by DOE ACP and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), allowed the vertical tracking and distribution of polluted air masses as they entered and left the New England region.

Who: Investigators in this project include researchers from numerous universities, industries, and governmental organizations. Participating institutions include the University of New Hampshire and Plymouth State.

Science to Support Decision Making. This multi-institutional research project focuses on air quality prediction & monitoring, weather, and climate-related issues in New England.

NOAA's Atmospheric Research Campaign - Combining Climate Change and Air Quality Research